A Goonie's Secret
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Mikey has to deal with his past.
1. Nightmares

DISCLAIMER

Got the idea from the line where Brand called Mikey "An adopted wuss". All familiar characters belong to Steven Spielberg and Warner Brothers. I only own the plot.

"No. No. Not again." Brand groaned and opened his eyes. _Oh, man. Not again_, he thought. This was the third night in a row that he had been woken up by one of Mikey's nightmares. He got up and walked to his brother's room, intending to wake him up.

"No. Don't. Don't let her. No. Please. Don't let her." Brand's eyes furrowed. This was new. Mikey had never said these kinds of things before.

"Mikey?" Brand asked. Mikey continued to plead in his sleep. Brand found himself overcome with curiosity. His parents had adopted Mikey about four years ago, but had never said much about his past. Maybe they didn't know themselves.

"No. No please. Not again. You said no more," Mikey muttered.

"Mikey? Mikey?" Brand asked. He leaned over and shook his brother's shoulder. "Mikey, wake up. You're dreaming, bud." This didn't stop the dream however, but increased it. Mikey cried out.

"No! Get away!" he yelled. Brand fell back in shock. He had never seen Mikey like this. What had happened to him? Finally, the cries became whimpers. When Mikey spoke again, Brand could barely make out the words.

"Didn't want to. Never wanted to," the boy said. Brand watched as Mikey became calm. Then, he smoothed back the younger boy's hair, which had become drenched in sweat.

"Sleep, Mikey. You're safe. You're safe," he whispered. The older boy frowned. Somehow, he'd find out what had happened to Mikey and he'd make it all right. Because he was his older brother and that's what older brothers were for.


	2. Rivals

DISCLAIMER

All familiar characters belong to Steven Spielberg and Warner Brothers. I only own the plot.

Brand flounced back on the couch. He was bored. Bored, bored, bored!

"Man, nothing exciting **ever** happens around here," Mikey complained from a chair.

"Are you forgetting about the Fratellis and finding One-Eyed Willy's treasure?" Brand asked.

"But that was ages ago," Mikey responded. Then, he stood up and headed for the door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Brand asked.

"The Goon Docks."

"Well, wait for me!" With that, Brand followed his younger brother out the door, onto their bikes, and down the road. As they traveled, a shiny black Triumph appeared without warning right in front of them!

"Look out, Mikey!" Not waiting for the younger boy to respond, Brand pulled Mikey to the side of the road. The biker skidded to a stop.

"Hey! Why don't you watch it?" the teen---a boy around Brand's age---asked angrily.

"Us? Man, you're the one who appeared out of nowhere!" Brand shouted angrily. The motorcyclist disembarked and approached them.

"Look, I don't need some---" his voice trailed off. "Mikey?" he asked.

"Trip!" With a joyful cry, Mikey ran to the older boy. Trip Brady wrapped him in a hug.

"Hey, Little Man. How you doing?" Trip asked.

"I'm good. Got adopted by some people---the Walsh's. That's my brother, Brand," Mikey replied.

"So where you headed, Little Man?" Trip queried.

"The Goon Docks. Come on, I'll show you the way," Mikey said eagerly. Trip laughed.

"Why not?" he asked. With that, he headed back for his cycle. Then, Brand and Mikey remounted their bikes and went on their way.

"Mikey, what are you doing? He's not a Goonie," Brand reminded him.

"He's my friend, Brand," Mikey responded. Brand didn't answer. Mikey had been having nightmares lately and whenever questioned about them, he got hostile. Needless to say, their relationship hadn't been the same. When they got to the Goon Docks, they saw Mouth, Stef, Andi, Data, and Chunk already waiting. The trio disembarked from their rides and walked up to the group.

"Hey, guys," Mikey greeted.

"Who's that?" Andi asked, motioning towards Trip.

"Trip Brady. My best friend in the whole world," Mikey replied. "Trip, these are my other friends, the Goonies: Mouth, Stef, Chunk, Andi, and Data," he continued, pointing to each one in turn.

"Hi," everyone chorused.

"So, is everyone as bored as we are?" Brand asked.

"Yes," came the unison agreement.

"Well, how about showing me around? I mean, I'm going to be here a while, and it'd be nice to know where everything is," Trip suggested.

"Okay," the others agreed. Then it dawned on Mikey what Trip had said.

"Hey, you're staying a while?" he asked eagerly. Trip laughed.

"That's right, Little Man. I'm back," he stated, ruffling Mikey's hair. Mikey grinned. They went back to their bikes.

"Hey. Can I---"

"Sure, Little Man." With that, Trip helped Mikey up onto the massive bike. The rest of the Goonies watched as the two interacted.

"Wow. He's so gentle with Mikey," Andi stated.

"I wonder where they know each other from," Mouth mused.

"Aw, he's not so great," Brand muttered.

"Oooh. Somebody's jealous," teased Stef.

"Shut up, Stef," Brand growled. The others laughed and mounted their bikes. Then, Stef and Andi pedaled up to the motorcycle and took the lead. With that, they proceeded to show Trip the hot spots of Astoria. Finally, Trip had seen everything, so they all decided to go the 7-11. They parked their bikes and went into the store. Immediately, everyone split up. Chunk to get some ice cream, Data to see if he could find anything he could use for his inventions, Stef and Mouth to go play video games, Andi and Brand to spend some time alone, and Mikey and Trip to just hang around looking at the comics.

"Hey. You remember the last time we were in a store together?" Trip asked softly.

"Oh, yeah. Our 'Little Boy Lost' trick," Mikey remembered with a grin. They laughed at the memory. Sometimes, when they didn't have enough for food, Trip and Mikey would go into a store, where Mikey would pretend to be lost and wanting his mother. While the owner was distracted, Trip would take what he needed for the both of them. By the time the theft was discovered, the boys would be long gone. The door jangled open, causing Mouth to look from his video game.

"Jerk alert!" he called. Everyone looked to the door.

"Oh, man. It's Troy," Mikey groaned.

"Who's Troy?" Trip questioned.

"The biggest jerk in Astoria," Mikey replied.

"He thinks he's so cool just because he has a car," Andi spoke up bitterly.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here. It's the Goonies," Troy Perkins said mockingly. His two friends laughed. Almost as if by some invisible force, the Goonies gathered around each other.

"What do you want, Troy?" Andi asked.

"Nothing...from **you**," Troy sneered. "You know Andi; you had a chance to be cool. But you blew it by joining the Goonies," he continued.

"Troy, I don't care about your opinion. Just leave us alone, okay?" Andi requested. She started to walk away, but Troy grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me, Troy!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, let her go!" Mikey shouted, going to her defense.

"You little Goonie! You're gonna tell **me** what to do?" Troy sneered, shoving Mikey to the ground. Brand immediately went for Troy, only to have Trip get there first. Trip pulled Troy away from Andi and pulled him close.

"Don'' you **ever** shove Mikey," Trip growled.

"And what are **you** gonna do about it? Huh?" Troy asked, still managing to sound brave.

"Believe me, you **don**'**t** want to know," Trip threatened softly. Troy gulped, perhaps seeing Trip's intensity for the first time. Trip shoved him back.

"Let's go!" Troy called. He and his friends left. Trip turned and helped Mikey up.

"You okay, Little Man?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm all right, Trip. Thanks," was the response.

"Come on. Let's get out of here," Brand suggested. They walked back to their bikes. As they did so, Trip looked at Mikey. Something was bugging him. And it wasn't that jerk back in the 7-11.

"Hey. What's up, Little Man?" Trip asked.

"Could we talk later...away from the others?" Mikey requested.

"Sure," Trip agreed. With that, he helped Mikey onto the Triumph, and then swung his leg over the side.

"Mikey, get down from there. Mom will kill me if anything happens to you," Brand stated.

"Brand, just leave me alone," Mikey responded. With that, Trip started the engine and barreled down the street.

"If something happens to him, it's not my fault," Brand declared. He and the others got into their bicycles and followed Trip down the same street. Data and Chunk went back to their own houses, Mouth and Stef went to Mouth's house to spend some time together, and Andi decided to go over to the Brand and Mikey's. When they got there, Andi and Brand went in, but Mikey and Trip stayed outside.

"Hey, you guys comin' or what?" Brand asked.

"In a minute, Brand," Mikey replied.

"Okay," Brand agreed. He waited a few minutes as Mikey and Trip walked off, and then silently went back outside. He couldn't help himself. He **had** to know what was up with his younger brother! Seeing the two, Brand flattened himself against a wall.

"Well?" Trip prompted.

"I've, uh, I've been having some nightmares lately," Mikey admitted.

"About what?" Trip queried.

"About **her**," Mikey admitted. "What---what she did to me." Brand frowned in confusion. What was Mikey talking about?

"When did they start?" Trip asked.

"A few nights ago," admitted Mikey. He began to cry. "I---I didn't want to, Trip. Didn't want to."

"I know. I know." Brand dared to peek around the side of the house. Trip had wrapped Mikey in a hug and was stroking his hair, murmuring soothingly.

"Not my fault. Didn't want to," Mikey mumbled. Brand backed away. That did it. He'd find out what happened to Mikey no matter what.


	3. The Truth

DISCLAIMER

All familiar characters belong to Steven Spielberg and Warner Brothers. I only own the plot.

Brand Walsh stared at his younger brother, Mikey.

"What?" Mikey asked.

"Why are you so close to Trip?" Brand wondered.

"He looked after me, Brand. He took care of me," Mikey replied. Just then, as if merely speaking his name had conjured him up, Trip Brady approached their house.

"Hey, Little Man!" he yelled over the roar of his motorcycle. Brand frowned as Mikey eagerly ran to the teen. Andi was right. He **was** jealous of their friendship. But he couldn't help it. This guy seemed to be the only one Mikey would talk to about his nightmares. He thought back to what he had overheard a few days ago and how Mikey had mentioned having nightmares about a woman and her doing something to him. What had he been talking about? Why was Mikey keeping things from him? With these thoughts in mind, Brand grabbed his bike and headed for Andi's house, ignoring the roar of Trip's motorcycle as it zoomed off in another direction. Meanwhile, at her house, Andi Carmichael was in the middle of practicing her piano. Suddenly, she hit a wrong chord. She cringed.

"That's okay. Goonies always make mistakes," she told herself. Then, she went back over the chord and this time played it right.

"That's better," she declared with a smile. Then, the doorbell rang. She stood up and walked to the door, opening it.

"Brand," she said in surprise.

"Why won't he talk to me?" Brand demanded, stepping through the threshold.

"Please. Come in," Andi deadpanned.

"He'll talk to Trip, but he won't talk to me! I'm his brother for crying out loud! He can trust me!" Brand exclaimed, running his fingers through his hair.

"I take it Mikey still hasn't told you what's going on," Andi said needlessly.

"Hardly! Every time I see him he's with that guy Trip!" Brand cried.

"Brand, if he can talk to Trip about what's bothering him, that's a start. I mean, at least he's talking to **some**body," Andi pointed out.

"But why can't that somebody be **me**?" Brand asked in frustration. Back in town, Trip and Mikey had found a secluded spot and had sat down to talk.

"Are you still having the nightmares?" Trip queried. Mikey nodded.

"Have you...talked to the Walsh's?" Trip asked.

"No! No!" Mikey exclaimed, jumping up. "They'd never understand!"

"Hey, calm down, Little Man," Trip soothed, also standing up.

"I---I---I can't tell, Trip! Not ever!" Mikey continued.

"Mikey, you **have** to," Trip pointed out.

"No," Mikey protested, shaking his head. Trip blew out a breath and messed up his hair with his hands.

"If you don't tell them, **I** will," he stated.

"I---I don't know," the younger boy responded.

"Come on. Let's get back," Trip said. With that, they walked back to his motorcycle. Then, Trip started the engine and rode off. Later that night, a distressed cry woke Brand up.

"Mikey?" he asked.

"No. Please. Don't," the younger boy murmured.

"Mikey, what's wrong?" Brand asked in a whisper.

"You said no more. You promised," Mikey said in his sleep.

"Mikey?" Brand queried in surprise. He reached out to touch his shoulder. Feeling the contact, Mikey freaked out.

"No! Please! No more! No more!" With this final cry, the boy jerked away.

"Mikey? Are you okay?" Brand asked.

"I...didn't want to, Brand," Mikey whispered.

"Didn't want to what?" Brand questioned.

"I was---I was in another foster home before I came to live with you guys," Mikey replied.

"What happened?" Brand asked.

"The mom...made me have sex. Trip found out and he got me out," Mikey replied, beginning to cry. Brand drew his brother into a hug.

"It's okay. You're safe, Mikey. You're safe now. It's okay," he murmured.


	4. How To Deal

DISCLAIMER

All familiar characters belong to Steven Spielberg and Warner Brothers. I only own the plot.

Brand looked at his younger brother, Mikey. He wasn't sure what to say to him anymore. Ever since Mikey had confessed that a foster mom had molested him, Brand had been at a loss. He just wasn't sure he could deal with it. It wasn't like having a crush on a girl or something. This was...major. Mikey caught his older brother staring.

"What?" he snapped.

"Nothing," the other boy replied. Mikey turned so that his back was to Brand. _He hates me now. He knows I'm dirty_, was his tearful thought. That was why he had never told. Because no would ever be able to look at him again. But he hadn't wanted to! It was all her! He ran towards the door.

"Mikey?" Brand asked.

"Leave me alone, Brand!" Mikey yelled. He opened the door, and then banged it shut as he ran outside. Brand blew out a breath. He didn't know what to do. A few minutes later, Brand walked out. He got on his bike and started pedaling. The boy didn't even know how he had gotten to his girlfriend's house. It wasn't like he had planned on showing up, he just had. He placed the kickstand on the ground and walked up to the door and knocked. It opened to reveal Andi.

"Brand, what is it?" she asked.

"Could we talk?" was his response.

"Of course. Come on in," Andi invited, moving aside. Brand walked into the house and sat on a living room couch, with Andi on the other side. The girl waited a few minutes.

"You know, in order to talk, you have to move your lips," she finally stated. He gave a soft laugh and a small smile.

"I'm sorry, Andi. I, uh---Mikey dropped a bombshell on me," Brand stated.

"Mikey told you what was going on with him?" Andi asked.

"Yeah," Brand nodded.

"Well, what is it?" Andi questioned.

"Apparently, before Mom and Dad adopted him, Mikey was with another family and, uh---" Brand trailed off, unsure if he should continue.

"And what?" Andi asked. "Brand, what happened?"

"The mom molested him," Brand replied.

"What?" Andi questioned. "Oh, that poor kid!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," Brand nodded. "And the worst thing is, I don't know how to help him, or if I even can. I just---I just don't know what to do, Andi," he continued.

"Just support him. Be there for him. Mikey needs you right now. Mikey needs his big brother," she told him.

"I knew it was a good idea to let you into the Goonies," Brand stated.

"Well, I was a Goonie even before I knew I was," Andi said. Brand laughed, remembering how Mikey had told Andi that Goonies never said die and how he had forgotten that she wasn't a Goonie.

"Brand, being let into the Goonies was the best thing that ever happened to me. And no matter what, we have to stick together. Because we're friends. And right now, Mikey needs all the friends he can get," Andi stated.

"Yeah, I know," Brand said.

"And even if you can't say anything to make him feel better, I'm sure Mikey will appreciate just knowing that you're there for him," Andi continued.

"Thanks, Andi," Brand said again, giving her a half smile.

"Sure," Andi replied. And they just sat there, each lost in their own thoughts.


	5. Reconciled

DISCLAIMER

All familiar characters belong to Steven Spielberg and Warner Brothers. I only own the plot.

Brand blew out a breath. He wanted to help Mikey, but wasn't sure he could. The younger boy had been pretty irritable ever since he had admitted that a foster mom had molested him. At least now Brand understood Mikey's attachment to his friend Trip Brady. According to Mikey, the boy had found about the abuse and had rescued him. Upstairs, Mikey paced in his bedroom. He didn't know what to do. Trip said he should talk to Brand, but he wasn't sure he could. How could he explain? That witch had messed up his head. Besides, Brand never listened anyway. Why would he start now? The boy groaned. He wished he knew what to do. Finally, the boy went downstairs.

"Hey, Brand. Could we talk?" he requested.

"Yeah, sure," the older boy replied. They went over to the couch.

"Mikey, how come you never told me about your foster mom?" Brand questioned.

"Because I'm dirty, Brand! I'm tainted!" Mikey burst out. "I've known that for years and I didn't want you to know too!"

"Mikey, you're not dirty," Brand sighed. "**She** was the adult. **She** was the one who did something wrong, not **you**," he insisted.

"Yeah. That's what Trip says too," Mikey said softly.

"Trip's right," Brand stated. He sighed. "Mikey, I know I haven't exactly been the best brother to you ever since Trip arrived, but part of it was jealousy. I mean, you could talk to Trip about this, but not me."

"And the other part?" Mikey asked.

"I, uh, I didn't know how to take your confession," Brand admitted. He blew out a breath, "I mean, it's not like having a crush on a girl or something. This is…major! I mean, by all rights, I should tell Mom and Dad," he continued.

"They already know, Brand. Trip told my social worker, who told them. It was in case I had nightmares, or she tried to look for me," Mikey stated.

"Oh," Brand said.

"Brand, please just stay with me," Mikey begged.

"Yeah. Sure, Mikey," Brand promised. They hugged. Then, Mikey turned around and Brand put his arms around him.


	6. Face From The Past

DISCLAIMER

All familiar characters belong to Steven Spielberg and Warner Brothers. I only own the plot.

Mikey sat in his room, trying to read a book. However, he couldn't concentrate on it. Even if it **did** have the legend of One-Eyed Willy. His mind kept reverting to that foster mom. He sighed shakily. He didn't know what to do. Brand knew about the woman and they had made up, but...he wasn't sure if he could face the memories. Just then, his door opened and the boy looked up to see his older brother.

"You okay?" Brand asked.

"No. I just keep thinking about her," Mikey replied with a sigh.

"Mikey, you're safe here. She can't hurt you," Brand assured.

"I know," Mikey stated. "It's just...I've been living with the memories for so long. I've never talked about it. **Ever**."

"Why not?" Brand asked.

"Because I couldn't! She said not to!" Mikey burst out.

"You've gotta stop giving her the power, Mikey," Brand stated.

"You sound like Trip, you know that?" Mikey queried.

"Seeing how good a friend he is to you, I'm going to take that as a compliment," Brand replied.

"It **is**," Mikey admitted with a brief smile. However, the smile never reached his eyes. Brand looked at his brother sympathetically. He wished he knew how to help him. Meanwhile, an attractive woman had just reached the city limits for Astoria. She smiled smugly. She had heard that Michael was here. Oh, how she had missed him. She continued driving on. Back at Mikey and Brand's the two had decided to go to the Goon Docks, where the other Goonies and Trip Brady were already gathered.

"Hey, Mikey. Hey, Brand," Andi Carmichael greeted.

"Hey, Andi," Brand greeted, his features curving into a grin. He approached her and she reached out for a hug. The others laughed teasingly.

"Can it," Brand shot back.

"So what's going on?" Mikey asked.

"Nothing much," Mouth answered.

"Yeah, it's been totally boring," agreed Steph.

"No action," Data added.

"Got plenty of food," Chunk stated cheerfully.

"Shut up, Chunk," everyone chorused. The boy glared. He was getting sick of being put down. Just then, Andi noticed Mikey's silence.

"Are you okay, Mikey?" she queried.

"Yeah. I'm fine," the boy replied softly. Though she didn't believe him, Andi chose not to press it. She knew Mikey would talk when he was ready. Mikey walked over to Trip.

"You okay, Little Man?" the older boy asked gently. Mikey shrugged. He wasn't sure how he felt right now. The nightmares weren't quite as frequent anymore, but he was still kind of nervous about sleeping. He was afraid he would see her. Trip patted his young friend on the shoulder. _Poor kid_, he thought. This had to be killing him. Even though it hadn't been for very long, the short time that Mikey had been with the woman had left its mark on him. Mikey blew out a breath. He didn't know what to do. Finally, they all left the Goon Docks. Suddenly, Mikey skidded to a stop.

"Mikey?" Andi asked in surprise.

"Trip! It's her!" Mikey cried fearfully. Trip and the others followed their friend's gaze.

"Come on! We gotta get outta here, now!" Trip shouted. With that, he grabbed Mikey's hand and dragged him away. They reached his motorcycle and Mikey was helped up. Then, Trip mounted the bike and roared away. The other Goonies got onto their bicycles and left in the same direction. Once they were inside his house, Mikey immediately began pacing.

"Why is she here? Why is she doing this to me?" Mikey wondered.

"Hey, calm down, man," Mouth said.

"Calm down!?" Mikey shrieked, whirling around to face him. "Calm down!? How dare you say that!? You don't know! You don't know!" he shouted.

"Mikey. Mikey, it's okay. I won't let her get anywhere near you," Trip assured.

"Why would she come now?" Mikey wondered.

"I don't know," Trip answered.

"Trip, I'm scared," Mikey admitted.

"I know you are, Little Man," Trip stated. "But I'm not gonna let her hurt you. I promise," he continued.

"I trust you, Trip," Mikey responded. _Thank goodness he trusts somebody_, thought Brand. Trip would keep him safe. Brand blew out a breath. What were they going to do? They had to protect Mikey. Just then, Harriet and Irving Walsh walked in.

"Hey, kids," Mr. Walsh greeted. His brows furrowed with confusion when they received inattentive acknowledgments.

"What's wrong?" Mrs. Walsh asked. Mikey drew in a deep breath.

"Mom, she's here," he revealed.

"What?" Mrs. Walsh asked.

"Yeah. I saw her," replied Mikey.

"Okay, baby. Don't worry. It'll be okay," Mrs. Walsh comforted.

"What do we do, Mom?" Brand queried.

"We have to call CPS and tell them," Mrs. Walsh replied.

"Do it now. Please," Mikey requested.

"Of course," Mrs. Walsh agreed. She went over to the phone and dialed a number. She was quickly connected.

"It'll be okay, Mikey," Andi comforted.

"But what if it'' not? What if she finds me?" Mikey asked plaintively.

"Mom and Dad won't let anything happen to you," Brand reminded him.

"Neither will I," assured Trip. Finally, Mrs. Walsh hung up.

"They're looking into it," she promised.

"Good," Mikey approved moodily. Sensing that their friend wanted to be alone, Data, Chunk, Stef, Mouth, and Andi headed for the door.

"Call me," Andi whispered.

"I will," Brand responded softly. She left. Later that night, Brand was awakened by frantic moaning.

"Mikey?" he whispered. With a moan, he got out of bed and walked to his brother's room.

"No. No, please. Please, no," Mikey said.

"Mikey. Mikey, you're dreaming," Brand said, coming over to the bed.

"Please. No more," Mikey murmured.

"Mikey, wake up," Brand said, putting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Mikey gasped and jerked upright.

"Ssssh, shhhh, ssssh. You're okay. It was just a nightmare. You're safe here," Brand whispered, smoothing back Mikey's hair. The next day, Mikey and Brand went to the Goon Docks. For a while, they were silent.

"You want to talk about it?" Brand finally offered.

"No," Mikey replied.

"Okay," Brand accepted. Then, "Come on. Let's go to 7-11." They took off. As soon as they got to the convenience store, they split up, Brand in search for a slurpee, and Mikey in search for more pamphlets on One-Eyed Willy.

"Michael?" The boy whirled around in fear at the sound of the woman's voice.

"Br---" She put a finger to the boy's lips. "No telling our secret," she warned. "Oh, Michael. I've missed you," she continued.

"Get away from me," Mikey said, jerking away. He tried to walk away, but she grabbed his arm.

"Michael, don't be this way," she said.

"Get your hands off me, skank!" he shouted. At the sound of his brother's voice, Brand turned around.

"Mikey?" he asked.

"Brand! Over here!" came the reply. Abandoning his drink, Brand followed his brother's voice. He stopped when he saw an older woman in front of his younger brother. From the look on his face, the older boy knew that this was the woman that haunted his younger brother's dreams.

"Get away from him," Brand snapped.

"I just want---" she began to object.

"Get away from him," Brand interrupted. He grabbed Mikey's arm and pulled him away. The older boy began to walk to the exit.

"Call the cops. The woman that just came in---she abused Mikey," Brand softly said to the store clerk. At this, the clerk turned to the phone and began dialing. Minutes later, a siren was heard. Soon after, the sheriff walked in.

"We got a call," he announced.

"Over there," Mikey said softly, pointing towards the spot they had left his old foster mom. The sheriff walked over and got the woman.

"You're under arrest," they told her.

"What's the charge?" she demanded.

"How about molestation?" Mikey responded. He quickly explained to the sheriff how he knew the woman, the dreams he had been having, and what she had just tried to do in the store.

"No! No! That's outrageous, I---" the woman's words faded under the officer's glare. He led her away, reading the woman her rights.

"There she goes, Mikey. She'll never hurt you again," Brand said softly, putting an arm around his brother's shoulders.

"It's over," Mikey whispered.

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE

If you or someone you know is being sexually abused, call RAINN's national hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).


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